I’ve been experimenting with pattern making with some of my drawings and created these simple repeated patterns. I wanted to experiment with shape, colour and transparency, making a more varied series of images.

The Secret 7″ deadline has been and gone and I feel that it’s probably ok now to reveal my design entries!

‘Clearest Blue’

I chose to make an ‘eye of the hurricane’ for the first track I illustrated, incorporating bluey-grey hues and some negative space that bleeds into the background. I was really happy with how the paper doilies acted as a stencil for the base of this design and the faint texture it’s created on the surface.

‘At Last’

My other design which I’ve posted before has been changed to look a bit more contemporary and colourful. I opted for sickly sweet pink hues and a faded lace border/background to make the whole design really striking. I think it may be a bit too much, but I had so much fun making it!

I’ve recently been commissioned by the British Hen Welfare Trust to create an illustration of Dee, the 500,000th hen to be rehomed by the charity, which is being donated and auctioned off at one of their fundraising events. As a former owner of chickens, I was so excited to start this little project!

This wonderful charity works so hard to save hens from slaughter and find them caring homes after their years of service laying eggs. It’s been such a pleasure working with the lovely ladies at BHWT and I can’t wait to finish the drawing part and add some bright colours to this illustration, ready to send off to Devon!

If you fancy donating to the charity, the donation page can be found on their website: www.bhwt.org.uk

With the Penguin Design Award deadline looming, I told myself to get my entry finished for ‘A Clockwork Orange’ and have all the final details added in time. After many hours in front of my computer screen, it’s pretty much there! Typography is my downfall but the current type is only temporary and will probably be replaced with hand drawn lettering.

I loved making this lace trim design for my entry, incorporating a few elements from the book and making a big contrast for a striking cover.

Just a quick update today on my Final Major Project work – there’s finally something filling the frames! This is the beginning of the sketching process, trying to develop all the imagery and details in the drawings. Once I’ve finished all of the sketches, I’ll move on to the refining part with lots more drawing and tidying everything up.

I’ve started to develop my Final Major Project for university by creating these gothic windows with baroque details and digitally collaged flowers, in the hope of making a pretty, yet dark little book to display at my degree show, along with large paintings of the characters in my story.

My overall plan is to retell the story of ‘The Maiden Without Hands’ by the Brother Grimm with a darker ending through a modern graphic novel inspired narrative. The drawings of the actual story are underway and I hope to have the majority of it finished in the next month or so. Watch this space!